Ottawa, Ontario to Rigaud, Quebec – 3 June 2023

Camping Choisy was the closest campground we could find near Montreal which was really the spot we wanted to visit.  As well, there were several dog wash machine prospects in Montreal that I wanted to chat with face to face. As Montreal was a two hour round trip from where we were, I booked an Airbnb for a couple of nights in downtown Montreal.

When we arrived at Camping Choisy we were immediately transported into another country. Not a word of English anywhere. We spent most of the time on Google Translate trying to figure things out.  The campground was well maintained but very busy with families as it was the weekend.

The following morning, we left fairly early as I had booked brunch with Elisabeth, who had worked for me for about a year helping to grow the dog wash market in Quebec. While Elisabeth and I had talked on the phone and zoom we had never met in person. We met at this wonderful brunch place in Old Montreal called Cartier.  I had an Egg Benedict with duck confit – a combination I hadn’t tried before and it was delicious. It was so great to finally meet her as we had always got on so well.

After breakfast, I met up with Derek and Jax and we wondered around Old Montreal taking in the beautiful architecture before returning back to the Airbnb. The apartment was on the 20th floor and surrounded by nightclubs and restaurants.  There were fantastic views from the living room and a small balcony which I could not even step onto without getting severe vertigo.  So Derek was sent out instead to take videos and photos for me. That night we dined at a lebanese/syrian restaurant just up the road from us. We shared a starter, a Moutabbal, which was like an eggplant hummus with tahini and pomegranate, followed by Shish Barak, meat dumplings in a yoghurt sauce, long grained rice with slivered almonds and Mansaf, lamb shanks in a fermented yoghurt sauce, all to the melodious sounds of the Bouzouki being played in the background. The Piece de Resistance was the Ice Cream Zulof. The vanilla ice cream was nested in strands of what tasted like candy floss sprinkled with cheese and capped with caramel sauce that the owner (and Chef) of the restaurant poured over my dessert for me. Beyond decadent!  We totally overindulged that night but it was worth it.

The next morning after brunch at one of the restaurants down the street, we drove to the Port of Montreal where we parked the car and continued our exploration of Montreal. After visiting the Notre Dame Cathedral in Ottawa, I didn’t think I could see a church more beautiful until we found the Notre Dame Basilica Cathedral in Montreal. Walking into the church just took my breath away. Facing the Place d’Armes square, the Cathedral is the first gothic style church in Canada. It was designed by New York Protestant architect, James O’Donnell (1774-1830). O’Donnell passed away in 1830 after converting to Catholicism. His crypt is under the Basilica. Since it’s beginning the church has gone through several building iterations. The Cathedral has been the site of many major religious and cultural events and several significant funerals over the years. Céline Dion and René Angélil got married here in 1994.

Old Montreal just blew my mind with its charming Parisian flair. Founded by French settlers in 1642 as Fort Ville-Marie, Old Montreal is home to many structures dating back to the era of New France. Everywhere you look you are surrounded by beautiful architecture. This area spans several blocks near the Old Port, the waterfront of the Saint Lawrence river. The many churches are incredible with their tall spires and copper statues. There is also such an interesting contrast as you transition from older Montreal and see the old buildings reflected in the glassed new buildings of downtown. Montreal is filled with talented buskers, boutiques, museums and restaurants. People cycle and stroll along the cobblestones streets enjoying an enormous variety of delicious foods in outdoor patios and markets.

After a few hours of walking we returned to the car and drove to Mont Royal park.  When we parked the car in the lot we saw a few enormous Marmots – not at all afraid of people, just munching on leaves in one of the flowerbeds. Mont Royal is part of the Monteregian Hills situated between the Laurentians and the Appalachian Mountains just west of downtown Montreal. It is one of Montreal’s largest green spaces.  The mountain is the deep extension of a vastly eroded ancient volcanic complex, which was probably active about 125 million years ago. McGill university sits at the foot of Mount Royal. In 1914–1918, the Mount Royal Tunnel was dug under the mountain by the Canadian Northern Railway, and is currently used by the AMT’s Deux-Montagnes commuter rail line.  

There are several trails in the park. We walked the trail to the Mont Royal Chalet and saw incredible views of Montreal’s skyline from the bricked courtyard. The chalet was constructed in 1932 as a make-work project during the Great Depression. Today it hosts various events with room for 300 to 700 people.  From there we continued on the trail to the 103 ft illuminated cross. This cross was installed in 1924 and commemorates January 6, 1643, when Maisonneuve, Montréal’s founder, kept his promise to carry a wooden cross to the summit of Mount Royal if the young colony survived flooding.